You know you are a Mom when...

...you have to be held back from giving it to a group of teenagers that are setting off fireworks right near where your children (and others) are OBVIOUSLY scared and uneasy as it is watching the big fireworks show...

Yep, I was ready to knock some heads =). Last night, we went to watch the Rogers Fireworks show and we parked where we always have for years, in the old high school stadium parking lot. Claire was very very anxious and not really sure about this whole fireworks thing, but was trying to get excited about them. Owen, from past experiences, did not like them and holds on like a baby monkey =). So we are watching the show last night, Owen in my lap, seems to be okay, and Claire sitting in the front seat of the van, but with the windows down, actually enjoying it. Sterling came with Keith and Becky, he was sitting in his Nana's lap, just fine. Then all of a sudden, we hear a round of fireworks go off just to the left of us, you know the really really loud ones that almost hurt your ears. The ones that are not even pretty, they are just set off for noise, RIDICULOUS!! Before I know it, I am stomping right over there, Owen on hip, ready to "politely" ask them to refrain from their show until after the big show as we have young children watching. But, Mom and Shane made me come back and did not let me say anything, they were probably right saying that I would only worsen the situation if I asked them to stop. So I sat back down and they actually did not set off anymore. After I was back in my chair, I had to laugh as I realized that I was up and on my way over there before I even could stop myself as my natural response was to protect my babies! Everyone was giving me a hard time, it was pretty funny! Here are some really cute pics of the kids from last night...

Owen LOVED looking at the football field. There was a soccer team practicing on one end and the minor league football team on the other. He kept going over there saying "Foball..DEEEASSSE" (football, please).

We were so proud that Claire actually held the sparkler, at the beginning of the night, she was hiding.

Sterling was a pro!

Here is Owen watching the show...

...and Claire (she insisted Poppy stay nearby)

We are leaving for our trip (12 hour drive to Gulf Shores) in just less than 12 hours!! Off to pack and get ready!!

Whoever said "Sleep like a baby..."

...obviously never had one. This sums up us this morning...I have been a slow blogger this week, I have been SLOOOOW at everything this week. Claire and Owen have made an official decision for the Brown household, NO ONE needs sleep. I am not quite sure how this decision was made, but me and Shane want to dispute! We have not had a full night's sleep since before Friday night. Let's start with Owen - He has never been a big sleeper, throw a cold in and you have a week of round the clock TV. He has been waking up every night about 12 (just after we fall asleep, nice huh) and is absolutely furious with the world. Throwing the fit of all fits and there is nothing we can do to console him but sit up and watch TV until he falls back asleep. Neither me or Shane can do anything with him. One night I tried to just put him back to bed after I got him up, gave him a drink and all seemed well...he threw a HUGE fit and climbed out of his crib! I was going up the stairs because I noticed he was getting quieter and I wanted to peek in and see if he was finally going to sleep, nope, he met me at the top of the stairs!!! Last night was so bad, I stayed up with him and watched a few episodes of the new Denise Richards reality show (she is so STUPID, but you get sucked in). I think I was asleep by 2. Now Claire is another story - Claire is a night owl. She could probably stay up all night if we let her. We let her watch a movie or cartoons in her room while she is supposed to be falling asleep (terrible habit, I know). Well, we set the TV timer for a couple hours so it turns off on its own, after she is definitely asleep, we are talking it turns off after midnight. Almost every night this week, we are woken up by Claire, "My TVs off". What??!! It is 1am and you want to watch The Incredibles AGAIN!! Then when we tell her no...you probably know how this goes!! One night, I finally had Owen asleep in the living room (watching the Food Network, about 3am) and just as I was making my way up slowly off the couch, Claire greets me with "Can I have a snack?". Owen shoots up like a cannon...Like I said, It's been a LOOOONG week!!

Now I am off to drink a few diet cokes for the caffeine, after I clean up the red pen marks off of the chaise lounge here in my office, courtesy of Owen while I was writing this blog...FUN FUN FUN!! Oh, and I just checked on him while he was supposed to be watching Playhouse Disney, he dumped the entire sleeve of crackers in the floor and is smashing them in the carpet...I think I might run away...better yet, we are going to Krispy Kreme =).

We leave for our vacation Friday night, 12 hour drive to Gulf Shores. I am sooo looking forward to a vacation...

I have started taking these kind of pictures for documentation...

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt...eat your heart out!!

Mom and I always tell Owen he is Shiloh's long lost girlfriend...I am sure you have all (if you are a celebrity junkie like me) seen the many shots of the Jolie-Pitt's where all of the kids always have some kind of chips or junk food in hand. One of Owen's favorite snack is chips, I know, not the healthiest, but he loves them.

So, Shiloh if you are looking for a man, here is a very handsome boy, with the same snack interest as yourself!!

Oh could you imagine having Angelina as you the mother in law to your son, BLAH...I would take Brad Pitt into the family though!! =)

While we are in a Hollywood mood, here are some close ups of fabulous Miss Claire Isabella! BTW - I have already decided her man will be Kingston Rossdale!!

FABULOUS Week of God's Blessings!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how great of a week we have had!! Shane and I are just beaming with pride over our big girl Claire!! As you know from the previous post (you will need to read it first to have any idea why I am so excited she went to VBS), this week was VBS week and we were praying that Claire would not only attend, but have a great time...she has had the greatest time!! Let me catch you up since Monday...

I take her Monday night, after a pretty good night Sunday. She was excited all day and was ready to go. I took her in and she got nervous once again. I was talking to Lane before I dropped her off and Claire was so nervous, biting her little fingernails. I turned to drop her off and she told me "Mom, I have decided to not stay, I say no thanks", is that not so sweet, but sad!? I told her she had to stay, still didn't want to, but finally gave in and went and sat down with her group. I ran off once I realized she was fine, crossing my fingers she would be okay. Shane went to pick her up that night and he called me from church...EXCITED on how well she was doing!! She had a great time, made tons of friends and did not stay glued to her Papa's side all night!! She sang the cute songs and was so excited to come home and tell us all about "the Samaritan"=). When I got off the phone with Shane, I just cried, so happy that she was happy and enjoying her time in this kind of setting!! She came home and we made such a big deal about it, she could not even sleep that night!! You have to understand, this is SUCH a big deal for us and it has been such a worry for me and Shane, to get her to attend class and be away from us for a short while and KNOW that we will come back to get her...we know that our prayers have been answered and God has been with us (and her) during this whole process, we cannot thank him enough!! I am writing this and tearing up, we are so blessed!!

So tonight, she bounced right in, went to her group (to her new friends, but she cannot remember their names =)), and me and Shane were just left to watch, BEAMING!! We were talking with some of our friends and she walked over and said "See I made friends, HIGH FIVE", hilarious!! We stuck around for a minute to watch her sing some of the beginning songs before they go to class, and all I could see was her white hair bow just bouncing up and down as she was having a blast singing the songs!!

Nana and Papa said she did even better tonight and they were two of some of the proudest grandparents (Mom and Jake were thrilled, Mom was just planning she was going to have to get certified to home school =)). Tomorrow night we go back to have a hot dog dinner, play games and the final session of songs and awards...she is so excited!

I know that this seems so dramatic for such a small thing such as this to some people. 5 years ago, I would probably be totally making fun of me if I was reading this. It is so unbelievable to see how our priorities change as we become parents, the smallest things are such BIG deals. When they are babies, you worry when they don't burp after feedings, when they are a little older, you worry over every piece of food in their mouth, don't want them to choke. When they are toddlers, you worry about where they go, they can fall off and into EVERYTHING. You are proud of things such as a new diaper size, 6oz to 8oz, sleeping through the night, even though it began at 12am and lasted through 5am, using a sippy cup, singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"...and going to Bible School on their own and having a great time! All of these things are what makes us parents and are proof of God's work and the blessings he gives us!!

We are enjoying every minute of this we can because one day we are going to have much bigger and important things to worry about, and also many to be proud of! But right now, I am absolutely the proudest Mama and would not trade this drama for the world!!

Here are some pictures of the kids in their pajamas tonight. Claire is wearing her new pajamas she got for being such a big girl this week!!

Claire is our aspiring photographer in the house, she actually took this shot of me and O. I think she is pretty good.

Here is a video of sweet Claire singing her favorite song from VBS....

And here is a video of Claire and Owen singing Owen's favorite "The Frog Song"!